Gaming computer advice

sg08Jan 25, 2013, 8:09 AM

Hello, I need help figuring out what computer to buy. I don't know anything about making my own computer. I have asked friends but they all said different things. So I decided to get a prebuilt computer. I have found this site and I think this computer is good for my needs.

I manly want to use it for gaming. I don't think I will use it for fps's, but i will use it for mmo's and rpg's. Like League of Legends, Elder Scrolls, Phantasy Star, Final Fantasy 14, Guild Wars 2, Diablo 3, and things like that. This site lets me customize the parts witch is good, but i need help with manly the video card. What will be good for the games I have mentioned? Later I might buy two monitors for 3 monitor gaming. My price range for a computer would be around $1,000 to about $1,500 (cause I need to buy a monitor, keyboard, mouse and speakers witch is another $350 for gaming). Plus if I need to buy a ssd card, then what should I get (if it matters)? The other thing I need is a good antivirus software and firewall software. Again, I know nothing about computers so any professional advice from people who know what there doing and have experience it will help a lot.

Thank you. I really appreciate your help and advice. I was afraid of getting a computer that either I over paid or just sucks or not compatible. I want to make sure I get it right before I spend a lot of money.

no worries, everyone is here to help [and yeah... that pc from link really sucked sorry lolz]. You can go to http://pcpartpicker.com/ca/ and go through the options, build up your own version of a system and post it on here for second opinions.. or you could stick with what I posted, im sure other people might have other ideas with adjustments to mine

for gaming just stick with i5 processor, tkae the 3570k like i suggested (the "k" indicates an unlocked multiplier = possible to overclock) The i5 is good for gaming, i7 not necessary, so paying extra for no large advantage. the Evo 212 cpu cooler is a good budget cooler which will handle some light to moderate overclocks*, but if you wish to do some hard core overclocks then go with noctua nh-d14 good price for the cooling power. [i like to keep overclocking option open for future but the evo 212 is good just to have even when not overclocking, cuz CPUs do get hot and Ivy bridge (3rd gen) do get hotter than older gens.

do not spend extra money for 680 gpu, stick with 670 (nvidia) .... more people prefer nvidia cuz its "better" rather than radeon based.

when building your system... just make sure not to use a magnetic screw driver... but it's pretty straight forward even with no knowledge on how to build a system, youtube helps and this forum helps a lot as well

I wouldn't build a computer if you aren't comfortable. There are a lot of things that can go wrong and troubleshooting is a bear if you don't know what you are doing. All it takes is hosing one part, or having to ship a couple things back and forth to erase the savings. Places like Cyberpower don't charge too much more than bare parts, so it's not a terrible value.

That one you linked to has a graphics card that won't even play basic games, despite being quite expensive.

It's got a slightly overclocked i5-3570K, a Radeon 7870 (high end card), an SSD and a 1TB hard drive and a very nice case, motherboard and cooler. It also includes a Windows license, which I don't think your linked PC did.

Thank you. I really appreciate your help and advice. I was afraid of getting a computer that either I over paid or just sucks or not compatible. I want to make sure I get it right before I spend a lot of money.

Never buy from ComputerLX. And by never I mean if the universe ends wait 10 years and then still don't buy one. They claim lifetime support. The video card in my system failed. Their tech support people told me to "go f yourself".

Building a PC is super easy if you're patient and take your time and be careful. There are tons of video guides on YouTube and Tom's forums has a great guide too.

.

Assuming no parts are defective and you don't mess something up! I've got 20 years computer building experience I had a problem with my last build that really stumped me for weeks. It's not always like snapping some legos together and hitting the power button.

I think most people probably could handle building a computer. But I also don't think we do people favors by trying to convince them to do it themselves after they have decided they can't handle it. People are usually a good at assessing their own skills and not everyone is into DIY.

Maybe, but I think a lot of people think that building a computer is much harder than it is. The cost of parts notwithstanding, it really is a lot like assembling Legos, except easier because most components can only go into one certain place.

If someone is super clumsy or unhandy to the point that they can't handle a screwdriver, then I'd say don't build their own. But most people can quickly learn how to do it. And yeah, sometimes accidents will happen, but that happens with prebuilts too!

The best thing about a prebuild is that if it is buggy, you put the whole thing in one box and back it goes.

With a self-build, you get to play hardware voodoo for a month just to figure out which part is flaky. You just have to decide what you want to do to save a few bucks. Some people like us think it is fun, but others don't want "assembly required" computers. They just want to hit a button and play games.

it really isnt all that hard, but yes troubleshooting could be difficult for someone who has minimal knowledge about it. But having a separate computer that works beside you as you build makes it easy, if you dont know something, just make a quick google search, takes not more than 5 minutes, you get most results from tom's hardware forum as well as youtube for visuals.

The best thing about doing it yourself is that you can learn how/what your pc is, and when you wish to upgrade a part or replace a part in the future you will be more comfortable. My friend built a pc for the first time a month ago... He RMA his motherboard -> used a magnetic screw driver lol. But even him... never building a pc on his own, was able to go through the task of removing everything out of box and laying out on table to go through the check up as of which part is faulty. Now he's got a working computer, no problems and he didnt know anything about building a computer, just youtube and forums.

In the end... its up to you... but you profit more from your own build

Is this a decent configuration for the things I need a computer for? (gaming, games like League of Legends, Elder Scrolls, Phantasy Star, Guild Wars 2, Final Fantasy 14, and maybe a few Fps's. Maybe later I will buy multiple monitors)

I took advantage of some freebies and deals (and dropped to a 3GB gtx670 because the 4GB is a total waster of money). Added a 64GB SSD Cache, and upgraded cooler, silent case fans, a 10% overclock, and a better power supply. Came in about 70$ cheaper than yours.

In terms of output, 500W should be plenty for a 670 - newer GPUs use less power than older ones, after all. But I would probably upgrade to a higher class of PSU, like the TX, HX, or AX series from Corsair, a Seasonic, or an XFX. 500-650W.

Ok. I added a 64gb ADATA SP900 SATA-III 6.0Gb/s - 550 MB/s Read & 505 MB/s Write Single Drive as an SSD and as the Intel Smart Response Technology (Don't know if I really need the Intel Smart Response Technology), I switched to a GTX 670 2gb (cause there isn't an option for 3gb, just a 4gb and 2gb), I took some of the freebies, and on my amazon account I was thinking about getting the ASUS VH236H 23-Inch Full-HD 2ms LCD Monitor for my gaming pc. So the next question is do you think I should add these (the SSD and the other things) and also will the monitor work for me? And my friend said to get Eagle Tech ET-AR504LR-BK 2.1 Soundstage Speakers with Subwoofer & Remote for it as well. Will these work enough? Here is the slightly knew congifuration? I think I would buy this computer when I get the money.

That's not a bad PC in general, but it's really bad value for money. However, since I remember that you don't want to build, I'll leave that alone...

A few things:- You don't have a storage drive that I see. Just a 64GB SSD and a 500 GB external. You need an internal storage drive.- 64GB is a really small SSD, I typically wouldn't recommend any less than 120GB

No answer about the monitor and the speakers, I'm afraid, although I would recommend that you test them out (maybe at an office or computer store) before you buy them.

I hope this is better. If I have to spend a little more then ok. Again I know building my own pc is better, but I am a beginner in this. So when I learn more I will start to build my own. I am learning thanks to you guys, but I still need a little more advice. Thanks guys for all you advice. I want to get this done right so I make a little mistakes as I can.

That one is better. Although if you're in the US, don't buy the monitor as part of the package - they're charging $248, but it's a discontinued model and you can get one just as good (or better) for $200 or less from Amazon or Newegg or wherever.

Performance wise those are about the same price. The first one is a better configuration due to the larger SSD. It has a smaller PSU though and a house-brand MOBO which may or may not have comparable quality to the Gigabyte.